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We’re proud to unveil the White Center Merchant Profile, featuring the stories and history of nine produce markets. The Healthy Foods Here Program and King County Food and Fitness Initiative are sponsors in this project. It is written by Jade Blackwater and designed by Kathi Wheeler. Enjoy!

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CLICK HERE TO RSVP FOR THIS EVENT. DEADLINE TO RSVP IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15.

We are excited to announce that our annual Community Summit will be on Saturday, December 3. Join hundreds of your neighbors, community organizations and White Center supporters on this important day to address neighborhood issues, gather resources for your family and to celebrate White Center. Free and open to the public.

White Center Community Summit 2011

“Building Neighborhood Equity”

Saturday, December 3, 10AM-3PM

White Center Heights Elementary

CLICK HERE TO RSVP FOR THIS EVENT. DEADLINE TO RSVP IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15.

As proud sponsors, the White Center CDA would like to be the first to announce this event, happening right here in White Center, at White Center Heights Elementary. Please see event flyer below for more information. See you there!

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For more information, CLICK HERE. To RSVP for this event, CLICK HERE.

You have a say on the qualities and characteristics you want Highline’s next superintendent to possess.  What qualities and characteristics should our next leader have?

Voice your opinion at Next Tuesday’s Community Meeting.

Where: White Center Heights Elementary
Address: 10015 - 6th Avenue SW
Seattle, Wa 98146
Date: September 27, 2011
Time: 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM

For more information refer to the Highline Public School’s website.

From our partner organization Got Green:

Women in Southeast Seattle release survey findings and recommendations on what the green economy means to them

SEATTLE - On September 24th 2011, Got Green’s Women in the Green Economy Project will release their survey findings and recommendations to the public at a community event at South Lake High School in Rainier Valley. The new green economy should mean that all communities have access to good paying green jobs, money to buy healthy foods, healthy homes that are energy efficient and free of toxins, and affordable public transportation. Yet, the voices of low-income women of color in Southeast Seattle are not heard in the green economy. When women’s voices are not heard, families’ health suffers. 35% of the surveys were conducted in a language other than English - including Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya and Vietnamese.

“We started the Women in the Green Economy Project to create a place for women like me — low- income women, women of color, and women from immigrant backgrounds — to raise our voices, front and center, so that we could be a part of this new green economy. If we’re not on the front end of this green movement, it will be another opportunity that leaves us behind,” says Tammy Nguyen, a New Holly resident and founder of the project.

Survey findings conducted by Women in the Green Economy Project and volunteers earlier this year showed that SE Seattle low-income women of color regard good nutrition as THE number one priority for their and their family’s health in a 2:1 margin, followed by green homes. When asked “what is your main barrier to a healthy diet for you and your family?” 78% had a simple answer: COST. The University of Washington released a study in August 2011 determining that it will cost a family thousands of dollars a year to follow the federal guidelines of a healthy diet; grocery bills dropped significantly if they buy foods high in saturated fats and sugars. It is not out of lack of concern for their family’s health; the real issue is that families with a tight budget during an economic downturn simply cannot afford to buy healthy foods.

Ramata, a low-income single mom joined the Women in Green Project because, “I want to help with getting healthy food - because I know it’s a priority for me and my family - into our communities.” She feels strongly about the food issue as she’s currently breast feeding and wants to control what goes into her body.

The women’s Food Access Organizing Committee is planning their next steps to put more healthy food dollars into the pockets of families in the community. Got Green is also working on the second identified priority -green homes– to ensure that low-income families have healthy and green homes through energy building upgrades and city programs. Survey findings, community discussions, and testimonials are compiled in a report to amplify the voices of real women from the most racially diverse and lowest income neighborhood in our city, laying the groundwork for community organizing efforts to include women’s and their families’ priorities in the green economy.

WHAT: “Green Women, Healthy Voices” Community Event Women in Green Economy Report release
WHEN: Saturday, September 24, 2011 12 - 2pm
WHERE: South Lake High School, 8601 Rainier Ave S, Seattle

Child care provided and Interpretation in Spanish, Somali, and Vietnamese

Got Green is a grassroots group in the Seattle area led by young adults of color and low-income people that works to make sure the benefits of the green economy - including green jobs, access to healthy food, energy efficient homes, and good public transit - become widely available to low income and communities of color

White Center Promise is a long-term effort aimed at eradicating poverty in White Center. It will create a support system that will lead to student and family success and bring about social change. Our goal is that all children in White Center will have a healthy and successful life from birth to college and beyond.

Join the effort to plan our White Center Promise for the future of our children. Share your thoughts, enjoy the company of your neighbors, and have a great time with free local food and entertainment.

What: White Center Promise Summer Celebration
When: Friday, July 22, 2010 @ 4:00pm
Location: Greenbridge Plaza (8th Ave SW & SW 98th St.)

For more event information or to volunteer contact Virgil Domaoan at virgil@wccda.org or call (206) 694-1082.

For more information on White Center Promise please contact Laurie Bohm, Promise Neighborhood Project Director, at (206) 708-8772 or lbohm@swyfs.org.

YOU CAN ALSO RSVP ONLINE! CLICK HERE TO RSVP.

White Center CDA staff joined residents from the Greenbridge neighborhood and Family Connections staff (Mt. View Elementary and White Center Heights Elementary) to advocate for the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries at the King County Library System’s (KCLS) board of trustees meeting in Issaquah last night.

A large contingent of White Center’s community attended last night’s KCLS board of trustees monthly meeting to advocate against the closing and consolidation of the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries. Among them were residents from the Greenbridge neighborhood to provide their perspectives on how a potential closure will effect them and their families. Lan Le and Anab Abdulle from Family Connections provided interpretation in Vietnamese and Somali, respectively.

The experience for our Greenbridge neighbors was a new one - many of them had not been to Issaquah but were eager to speak in front of the board. They spoke about access, how their families utilize the libraries, and how closing the libraries will have an effect on the Greenbridge library (located inside the YWCA learning center).

The board heard from many other White Center representatives, notably the White Center Library Guild, who have been longtime advocates of the libraries and leading a campaign to “Save Our Libraries”. Over 1,700 signatures were collected by the Guild and community partners, which was presented to the board by Astha Tada of the Guild. King County council member  Joe McDermott was also in attendance to reiterate his support of the community.

The KCLS board of trustees decided to defer their decision of library consolidation of the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries until a decision about annexation is made by the City of Burien. We will provide more information about the library situation on this blog (as well as Facebook and Twitter) as it develops.

The White Center CDA, alongside many partners/parents in the Highline School District, has been a participant in Highline Public Schools‘ process in developing its new brand and logo. Branding committee meetings began late 2010 through early 2011. The above is a report to stakeholders regarding the branding process and development of a new logo for the district. Continue reading below for the complete branding report.

Project Summary

In an effort to better gauge the perception of the school district and the effectiveness of its communications with and to parents, community members, school board members, community-based organizations, and school district employees, Highline Public Schools conducted research and work sessions that included a communications audit, an online survey, five focus groups, a planning session with the district Senior Leadership Team and four work sessions with the district’s Brand Advisory team.

The purpose of the research was to obtain a thorough understanding of people’s perceptions of the district - who it is, where it’s going, where it falls short, where it exceeds, etc.  Additionally, it was important to understand how people feel about the communications they receive from the district. Is the district effectively communicating the right types of information, at the right time, and in the right ways?  What can it do better?  What can it keep doing?  Are there incremental fixes needed or monumental changes?

The focus was to start broadly with an online survey. From those quantitative findings, we were able to focus in and then glean more qualitative data at the focus group level where we could more deeply discuss topics and issues and draw out valuable input from the participants.

It’s with this comprehensive collection of data that the district moved forward into a branding process with the Brand Advisory Team, aimed at aligning its vision with its messages and visual look (logo) and essentially defining and strengthening its overall brand as a school district.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Promise Neighborhood Community Engagement Approach is community friendly and culturally competent. It has a couple of components including an educational/information campaign and survey. The Survey is available through a variety of means and in many home languages (Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Somali & Arabic). The Effort has an emphasis on going to the people to learn from them and start where people live.

Residents & Community Members from White Center Promise Zone, White Center Community Development Association, King County Housing Authority, Highline Public Schools, Southwest Youth and Family Services and Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington have been engaging parents over the past month and a half through a community survey. Parents are asked about what it takes for their children to be successful in school and life. Parents share their hopes for great schools and quality teachers where their children can feel supported to be successful and confident. Many parents share that their support networks include their parents, family members, caring professionals, church, and after school programs.  Neighborhood Mothers and Fathers also talk about the need for community centers, counseling programs, free activities for youth during the summer and tutoring programs.

Cambodian New Year Event, April 30:

Spring Clean, May 14:

CDA Membership Mixer (Social), May 20:

Math Market Nights and Coffee Hours:

Greenbridge Community Council Meeting, May 14:

Join the Promise Neighborhood Community Engagement Team and talk to your neighbors and parents about what it takes for their children to be successful in school and life. Share your ideas and opinions to guide a brighter future for the youth of White Center by taking the Promise Neighborhood Community Survey here - www.whitecenterpromise.org.

A celebration of students’ accomplishments at a morning full of demonstrations, presentations, competitions and awards:

LIVE Presentations by young physicists!
Incredible, Amazing Robots that will save the world!
Kids Engineering Web 3.0?!?!
1st through 8th Grade Students will astound and entertain you!

Some snacks will be provided. Bring a bag lunch if you plan on staying all morning.

TechStart Expo 2011
Saturday, June 18
11:00am - 1:00pm

Southwest Boys and Girls Club
9800 8th Ave. SW, Suite 105
Seattle, WA 98106